Competition Between Mac And PC Drives The Inventions Of Computers Essay, Research Paper

Due to the competition between Mac and PC, inventions of computers has been more rapid than at any other period of time. Microsoft?s Windows has monopolized the entire personal computer industry with their operating system and that goes same for the Mac OS 8.5. Since Mac couldn?t attract customers to buy their computer systems through their optimum operating system they just put out another computer named iMac to help improve their sales performance in the computer industry.

?Let’s state the obvious: the iMac looks incredibly cool, is mindlessly easy to set up, and at $1,299 doesn’t cost an arm and leg. But what’s not obvious about Apple’s futuristic design is that it leaves the past behind,? said my friend Illysa. You get no floppy drive, no parallel port, no serial port, and no internal card slots (older types of connections used to connect external peripherals). What you do get is a built-in K56flex modem, two USB (universal serial bus) ports, a 10/100BaseT network connection, and an infrared port. A universal serial bus is a new input connection that is trying to get rid off all the other older connections. A 10/100BaseT network connection is a type of modem capable of downloading up to 100 times faster then a regular modem.

So for all the hype about the iMac being the next big thing for home PC users, people are left wondering how in the heck is someone going to print a page or swap a file with another computer. You’ll have to take your files to the Net, or else build a home-based network to share data with other Macs and PCs–unless you have a PowerBook, since most models can interact with the iMac via its infrared port. As for peripherals, such as printers, it’s USB or nothing, which keeps your options to a minimum, although there will probably be adapters for certain traditional peripheral devices soon. And since there are no internal slots, you can forget about adding anything like a video capture card

or an internal ISDN modem. Apple isn’t kidding when it pronounces its mantra (slogan), “Think different.”

On the upside, the all-in-one iMac can design grab most of the customers attention, drawing curiosity seekers from all over world who wanted to see something–anything–different than a beige tower or desktop box. The smooth, triangular shape and translucent, aqua-colored top made everyone say oohs and aahs, while the simplicity of the iMac’s built-in 15-inch display (13.8-inch viewable area) and carrying handle drew fond memories of the old Mac SE and Classic boxes. The included hockey puck-like mouse also demands a double-take. However, you’ll need time to get accustomed to using it because of the new operating system and the mouse.

Everyone is impressed with Apple’s flawless setup. Novices can consult the fold-out card illustrating the six steps to get up and running (put on desk; plug in power, keyboard, mouse, and modem; and turn it on). If only setup for all PCs could be this easy.

On the other hand, the iMac boasts a G3 pedigree, but it’s the runt of an award-winning performance litter. Although the iMac runs with a PowerPC 750 233-MHz CPU (computer processing unit), 512K of secondary cache, and 32MB of SDRAM, it finished behind all other G3 desktops and PowerBooks, and it was even slower than the discontinued 604e-based 9600/350 Power Macintosh (slowest Macintosh every built). One culprit is the iMac’s 4GB IDE Quantum Fireball SE hard drive, which spins at 5,400 revolutions per minute and contributes to the sluggish results.

The built-in speakers deliver somewhat tinny sound akin to an old AM transistor radio. To get the maximum sound level, an owner has to set two different volume levels in the software. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t provide an external thumbwheel for volume.

Someone might experience uncommon twitches with the display settings, as well: to get usable brightness and contrast levels, to get the best results both sliders has to be pushed to the maximum. When the sliders are in the middle settings, the screen was somewhat dark.

Is the iMac attractive? Looks-wise, without question. Is it a good machine? That depends on what you need. If you want an affordable, somewhat slow, space-conscious Internet and network terminal with a revolutionary eye towards style and future connectivity options, the iMac’s your machine. But for $1,299, someone would prefer to get a floppy drive, room to add other drives (such as DVD or Zip), more memory, and a machine that works with the peripherals a person already own. iMac is an excellent computer for mid class family who can?t afford the newest and fastest computer in the world.